Online Petition Challenges Local Judge

Retirements have opened two seats on the Erie County Court of Common Pleas, but an Erie man would like to see a third judge vacate the bench.

Dan Olsen started a Change.org petition on March 18 asking Erie county judge Stephanie Domitrovich to "Step down from the bench and offer a public apology to everyone she has knowingly and unknowingly hurt with her unethical decision making."

Change.org is an online petition platform that allows users to create and issue oriented campaigns.

Domitrovich faces ethics charges filed by the Pa. Judicial Conduct Board last July after complaints about her conduct on the bench had been brought to the attention of then-President Judge Ernest DiSantis, who forwarded the allegations to the Pa. Judicial Conduct Board.

Olsen was previously a defendant in Domitrovich's court and believes he was treated unfairly. Since then, he has engaged in several forms of civil disobedience targeting Domitrovich. The petition is the latest in a series of attempts to have Domitrovich removed from the bench.

At publication, twelve people signed the petition, which has as its goal 100 signatures.     

Jim Wertz can be reached at jWertz@ErieReader.com, and you can follow him on Twitter @jim_wertz.